


Little Ladybugs

by cafeheart



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, F/F, Fluff, YouTube, youtube au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2018-09-03 02:12:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8692408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cafeheart/pseuds/cafeheart
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng is a 24-year old designer working freelance under Gabriel Agreste in the midst of bustling Paris and vlogging her adventures as she goes.Alya Césaire is a 25-year old aspiring artist starting work on an original comic to launch on YouTube, working on the far outskirts of the romantic city.How would these two possibly end up drawn to one another?





	1. Chapter 1

“Hello my little ladybugs, welcome to a brand new design! Just like last time, I’m modeling it myself… I actually intended this one to be modeled on one of Gabriel’s models, but I made it on my own dressform on habit, whoops. You know the deal already, yada yada. Back to the design! This one is a really simple one.

“My inspiration for this dress was springtime! I know, I know, I’m a bit early… But hey, who says you can’t celebrate spring in January anyway? Spring is my favorite season, so I design for it year-round, you guys know this.

“But anyway, as you can see, it’s just a pretty basic sundress. I had a ton of trouble finding this fabric… most of the floral patterns I could find had blue backgrounds, but I finally found this one with the pink! I really like the blue flowers on the pink background, it kind of flips what you expect to see with florals. I flip-flopped a lot deciding on the sleeves as well… sleeveless with a rounded neck or floaty sleeves and a high neck? Obviously, though, I went with the sleeveless, and I’m really glad I did. I think it makes it way easier to accessorize - like you can see with my scarf here. If the dress had poofy sleeves and a high neck, I wouldn’t be able to pull off the scarf, but it works perfectly with the simpler top!

“Of course, there are a lot of options for the scarf. You could just as easily tie your hair up and use it as a headband, like so. It doesn’t look great on me - dark blue scarf, dark blue hair, you see the problem. It would look great on, say, a blonde, though! 

“There are a lot of other things you could do with your accessories, too. Shoes are a big one, as always. I chose to pair this today with my favorite pink sneakers… Yeah, you’re all stunned, I’m sure. This could go well with a whole range of shoes, though; sneakers are always a safe bet in any color, and some black or dark blue flats would do well here too. If it were maybe creeping into summer, you could even pair it with some nice sandals.

“I’m not going to talk too much about jewelry - you guys know that jewelry isn’t my strong suit. I just threw on some really basic silver stud earrings today, but you could do pretty much anything with the jewelry.

“I think that’s all for today! Once it gets a bit closer to warm weather, I’m probably going to have this dress up in my shop, so keep an eye out for that. Links are in the description as always, don’t forget to like and subscribe, bye-bye my little ladybugs!”

After she finished her outro, Marinette reached forward and turned off the camera. She casually flipped her curled hair over her shoulder, unwinding her scarf and shimmying her feet out of the Vans she wore. She stripped down and changed into pajamas as soon as he could after stopping the recording, shaking her hair out before tying it in a messy knot behind her head and settling down on her bed.

\---------

“Hey guys, Alya here, I have another speedpaint for you today! Pretty simple today, just another character design for Chat Noir, my upcoming cartoon series. This is a brand new character - this’ll be your first time even hearing about them! I guess while you watch the speedpaint, I’ll tell you a bit about them.

“They’re - oh, right, first things first, they’re nonbinary! They/them pronouns only. No misgendering on my story! Haha, yeah, they’re just another one of Chat Noir’s classmates. I figure this is where there’s gonna be a lot of the conflict - they’re constantly developing crushes and chasing after the others. Their biggest crush, though, is Chat Noir. Well, Chat Noir AND Ariella, actually. I - uh, just to clarify, they don’t know Ariella’s identity! That would be a completely different story, haha. Yeah, no, they just really like Ariella, then Chat Noir is kind of more of a celebrity crush. The thing is, they also have a crush on almost every single person in their class over the course of the comic, but it’s like. Not as big a deal as the crush on Ariella. They get really nervous around Ariella, which is the only reason they haven’t asked her out, because they ask out pretty much everyone else. The thing is… No, no, we need to move on from the whole crush thing.

“They’re super, super sweet… Like, probably the sweetest person in the class. They’re really overbearing at times, though - oh, whoa, ignore that color, their hair is more of a green, I’m gonna fix that in a sec - yeah, there it is. Um, anyway, yeah, they’re kind of overbearing so people don’t really like them… They don’t really have any friends, sweet thing. The others aren’t mean to them or anything, they just don’t really like them either. 

“They really like to draw and read, which is kind of surprising for their classmates. I mean, here’s some rando that’s always kind of talking and whatnot… then in their free time, they make these really detailed, gorgeous drawings. It just kind of throws people for a loop.

“Fortunately, they don’t really care too much about having friends! They get a chance to talk to people all the time, and they have, like a billion siblings.  So they don’t really get lonely or anything. And they’re really easygoing, so they’re chill, it’s chill.

“Uh, I think we’re getting close to the end of the drawing… Yeah, this is the ending here. Uh, the only thing this babe is missing is a name! Feel free to leave suggestions in the comments, if you want to. And storyboarding for the pilot is set to start soon, so make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss it! If you go ahead and follow my Twitter, you might get sneak peeks too. See you next time!”

Alya’s microphone shut off as the recording on her computer screen came to a stop, the drawing finishing itself and the video controller popping up. She carefully unplugged the mic and put it back in its box, sliding it into a drawer on her desk. A pair of headphones materialized out of the drawer next, replacing the empty plug-in on the side of her laptop as she launched an editing program, the girl spinning in the desk chair and stretching out on her bed as she began work.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Alya is so gay she turns my prose purple.

“Holy shit, Alya, come here!”

“What do you want, Alix?” she yelled back, pausing the Netflix stream to listen to her loud roommate.

“I know I always say this, but you have to see this video,” Alix called, rounding the corner and nearly crashing into Alya’s door. “I was - well, it doesn’t matter what I was doing, all that matters is that she’s a designer here in Paris - under Gabriel freaking Agreste, if you’d believe it. She’s legit. And like, super fucking cute. Just come look at her. It’s worth it, I swear.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“It’s - the video! The girl! It’s - YouTube - she’s really cute, just come look, trust me.”

“ _ Ugh _ , fiiine, if it gets you to shut up,” Alya responded, groaning and rolling out of bed. “Where is it?”

Alix flung herself back the way she had came, launching herself into the chair in front of the fireplace and picking her laptop off of the kitchen island on the way. “Come on come on  **come ooonnnnnn** !”

“Jesus, Alix, calm the fuck down, the video isn’t going anywhere. Let me see.”

Alix thrust the computer into Alya’s hands; she startled and took it, focusing on the video on the screen; she couldn’t quite see the girl on screen’s face, just her body. Alix had paused the video before rushing to get Alya, so she had a chance to absorb the image on the screen before she needed to continue.

The girl was beautiful, from what Alya could see. She had flawless, possibly Asian skin. One of her small, manicured hands was settled on a table near the camera, pastel pink nails standing out against the dark wood grain of the surface. The other hand was on her ankle, a leg bent upwards to reveal her shoes to the audience. She was wearing a pair of pristine but obviously well-loved pink Vans with a pair of lace-trimmed ankle socks. Almost as if she were in a trance, Alya followed the curve of her petite leg up to the hem of the dress before taking it in. The dress was made of a floral fabric; a faded pink backdrop showcased dark blue splashes of flowers, fabric cinched perfectly at the girl’s narrow waist and falling loosely around her thighs. A scarf, matching the blue of the flowers to a T, looped around her neck, and hair so blue it was almost black fell over her shoulders in gentle waves. Alya was enchanted.

“Are ya gonna play it, or just stare at it? C’mon, girl,” Alix blurted out, now perched on the arm of her chair like a gargoyle. Alya jumped at the sudden interruption, tearing her eyes away from the screen.

“Right, right,” she replied, sinking onto the chair below Alix and clicking the video to begin.

“-stunned, I’m sure,” a melodic voice said, sarcasm evident. Her foot came down, and the girl moved her hands to smooth her dress over her lap. “This could go well with a whole range of shoes, though; sneakers are always a safe bet in any color, and some black or dark blue flats would do well here too. If it were maybe creeping into summer, you could even pair it with some nice sandals.”

Alya watched, entranced, as the girl continued to discuss shoes and jewelry. Still, her face didn’t come in frame.

“I think that’s all for today! Once it gets a bit closer to warm weather, I’m probably going to have this dress up in my shop, so keep-”

“SHE HAS A SHOP?” Alya shouted, whipping her head around to look at Alix. The small girl shrugged, looking at Alya with an unidentifiable look.

“Well, I guess so. She said so, so I mean…”

Alya turned back around to look back at the video, gasping aloud at the sight in front of her.

“-and subscribe, bye-bye my little ladybugs!”

Alya took a sharp breath in and punched the pause button before the video came to a complete end, drinking in the absolutely beautiful face on her screen.

She was even more stunning than Alya had imagined watching the video. Her hair curled gently around her face, framing her subtle cheekbones and soft jawline perfectly. She had rounded cheeks brushed with just the slightest amount of color, peach blush lighting up her face. Her small button nose was complimented by her glossy round lips. Alya marveled at her flawless complexion, not a blemish to be seen. Best of all were the girl’s eyes. They were wide and round, framed by subtle lashes, and the most gorgeous color Alya had ever seen. They were the color that the ocean and the sky make on a clear day; the color of every gorgeous flower Alya had ever seen combined. They crinkled at the sides, results of the smile crossing the girl’s face. Even her teeth were perfect, pearly white. Alya could swear her heart stopped beating.

“Oh my god Alix,” she breathed out, not taking her eyes off of the screen. “I’m in love.”

Alix groaned loudly. “Is this your revenge for dragging you out of your room? Because god, I’m sorry, I’ll buy you cookies if you get that disgusting look off of your face.”

Alya looked at the other girl slowly. “No, Alix, seriously, look at her.”

Alix shrugged in response. “Yeah, she’s cute. That’s why I showed you the video, remember?”

“Cute?” Alya questioned. “Cute?!?!? Alix, this is the most beautiful fucking girl I have seen in my life. You have to believe me. Look. At. Her!”

Alix rolled her eyes and reached for the laptop back.

“Wait!” Alya called, jumping up and out of Alix’s reach. “I just need her channel name, I just need to see-”

“Oh my god, you’re hopeless,” Alix muttered, but let Alya continue. She quickly exited the full screen, soaking in the recommended videos in awe. After looking around for a few seconds, distracted by all the beautiful thumbnails on the YouTube layout -  _ oh dear lord, she does makeup too _ \- Alya moved her focus to the channel name.

“Miraculous Marinette,” she murmured under her breath. “Is - is that her real name? Marinette?” Alix shrugged, still staring at Alya as if she had grown another head. “It’s beautiful,” Alya whispered, scrolling down the page to view the links and comments. “She’s beautiful.”

\---------

“Hello my little ladybugs! Okay, so, not really a normal video today. Actually, a pretty exciting one! If you guys haven’t seen yet - I hit 500 thousand subscribers over the weekend! Woo!!!

“I am so, so, so grateful. Guys, that’s nuts! 500 thousand? That’s… That’s just so many! That’s, like, ¼ of Paris, I think. I have a quarter of Paris following me! How does that even happen? 

“Sooo, to celebrate, I decided I’m doing a giveaway!

“‘Wait, Mari, a giveaway? What? How? You’re a designer!’ I hear you saying over there, but fear not, my little ladybugs, for all will be clear.

“I’m gonna do 3 prizes, I think; first place gets a full outfit custom designed and made; second gets either an already-designed outfit made or a single piece  of clothing plus an accessory designed and made, and third place gets a single piece of clothing designed and made.

“You’ve all seen what I can do on my channel, so you can come up with ideas based on what I’ve already done; I can do pretty much anything, though. I can make any style of dress, shirt, pants, shorts, skirt, anything like that. As far as accessories, I can do stuff like hats, scarves, uh… simpler stuff like gloves and socks and stuff like that too. I might even be able to modify certain shoes, if they’re simple enough.

“There’s a survey link in the description, it’s nothing too bad. It just asks for, like, your YouTube name, how old you are, all that fun stuff. There are some questions about my channel too, but they’re optional! You can only submit one response, so make sure you get everything you want to say in it the first time.

“I hope to see those responses coming in soon! I’m excited for this… This is the first time I’ve done anything like this. I mean, obviously I have the commissions, but this is like… It feels different. Because this time it’s me being generous instead of trying to scrape by back when I was in uni, I guess. I mean, that wasn’t the only reason I did commissions, people requested and-

“Ack, no, I’m getting off topic. This video isn’t about commissions!!! It’s a giveaway!!! That’s, like, the literal opposite of a commission. Um, I think that’s just about it - if I think of anything else while I’m editing this, I’ll just stick it in the description. Good luck and bye-bye, my little ladybugs!”

Yet again, Marinette reached forward and turned the camera off. She wasn’t exaggerating for the camera; she really was excited for the giveaway. She couldn’t wait to draw the results and start-

“Oh my god, the end date, duh!” Mari interrupted her own train of thought, eyes widening as she realized what she forgot. She looked at the camera, still sitting pretty on its tripod, but shook her head.  _ It’s already off _ , she reasoned,  _ and anyway, I’m lazy _ . 

Marinette took the camera down and quickly set it on the desk so it wouldn’t fall. She grabbed a sticky note from her bedside table, scrawled “end date????” on it quickly, and stuck it on top of her computer keyboard. That’ll be for later. TV is for now.

\-------------

“Jesus fucking Christ, girl, shut UP!” Alix screamed from the living room, beginning to get frustrated. “Are you DYING?!?!?” 

Alya responded from her bedroom with more wordless yelling.

“I HATE YOU,” Alix screamed, getting up from where she sat, deeply sunken into the couch. She knew Alya was okay, she always is; once, when they were in semi-actual danger, she had screamed at the top of her lungs and kicked an intruder in the face. So if Alya were actually dying, Alix would know. Still, if she didn’t check on Alya, she would just keep yelling about whatever-the-fuck it was that had her excited.

“What’s up, Als?” Alix sighed, gently opening her door. Alya’s laptop was open on the bed, and the girl herself was sprawled backwards, eyes squished shut as she squealed. At Alix’s voice, she stopped her yelling and opened her eyes, crossing her hands below her chin in an attempt to stop them from shooting out.

“ALIXXXXXXXXXXX,” Alya crooned, bouncing up into a sitting position in an impossibly fast motion and beaming at her. “LOOK LOOK LOOKLOOKLOOKLOOKL-”

“Okay girl, chill,” Alix said, picking up the laptop. It had a YouTube page pulled up - another video from the girl Alix had found the previous day. “500K Celebration - Design Giveaway,” she read aloud, the decorated thumbnail showing the girl - Marinette, right? - smiling with her eyes shut, a cute red bow placed slightly crooked in front of her top bun.

“A giveaway? Cool,” she commented calmly, looking at Alya with a raised eyebrow. The bouncing girl made a small noise and smacked her hands against the comforter, continuing to bounce.

“I wanna enter I wanna do it I wanna do it - oh my god do you think I’d be able to meet her if I won? Like, she would be designing for me, we could like, Skype. Oh my god. Oh my god Alix. I could talk to her! Me! I could TALK TO HER!!!”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Alix responded, shrugging. Alya, beaming so hard Alix worried about her cheeks, took the laptop back.

“This is it,” she whispered. “I’m going to meet the most gorgeous girl on the planet. This is going to happen, Alix. I swear it is. I’m going to win this thing.”

Alix chuckled at the awestruck look in her roommate’s eyes. “You do that, Als. I’ll be in the living room if you need to scream some more.”

Alya nodded silently, shooed Alix out, took a deep breath, and clicked on the link.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit 12/6: slight grammar & word choice changes


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> god i am ready to get this fucking chapter out of my docs

“Well, hello my little ladybugs! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?

“Ahhh, I know, I know, I’m so sorry for disappearing!!! It’s been really busy here - as you can probably tell by the kind of disastrous background here. Paris Fashion Week starts in less than a week now, so M. Agreste is pretty stressed. I’ve been at the office a lot, helping out with designs and fittings and stuff. I’m presenting a whole line for the first time this year, so I’ve been designing and sewing like crazy!!! I probably won’t sleep until Fashion Week is over, haha.

“Also consider this if you ordered anything from my shop recently, or if you’re going to soon. Fashion Week takes priority, and once it’s over and I’m ready to start back on orders, I’m going to start with older requests. So it may take a little while, but don’t worry, your stuff is definitely on the way. 

“That leads us into the second part of this video - the giveaway winners! Ooh, I’m excited. Are you guys excited? I’m excited!!!

“Okay, uh, third place first. Third place gets a custom-made piece of clothing, and that goes to LanaStar243!!! Congrats! Shoot me a message here or on Twitter and we can talk details.

“Second place, a custom-designed and made piece of clothing or a custom-made full outfit, is going to MishMashMax. Congratulations!!

“And the big one - first place!! - goes to ScarletLetterA!!! Remember, that’s a full outfit designed and custom-made. Good job, all three of you!! Again, just shoot me a message to claim your spot and so we can iron out the specifics.

“That’s about all the time I can get away from my work for now, so I’m gonna cut this video short here. Remember, my line walks on March 4th, so make sure you’re tuned into that to see some brand new designs. I probably won’t update again until after Fashion Week, so I’ll see you then!!! Bye-bye, my little ladybugs!!!”

\----------

“Hey Als, what’s this?” Alix shouted from the floor of the living room.

“What’s what?” Alya shouted back, sitting on top of the kitchen counter. “I’m watching the pasta, I can’t come look!”

“It looks like just a little doodle, but I’ve never seen this character. Who is she?” Alix appeared in the doorway beside Alya, thrusting a scrap of paper in front of her face. Alya struggled to focus on it. She quickly recognized the drawing, an absent-minded scribble of a nameless superhero.

“Oh, no one really. A concept for a partner superhero for Chat Noir. Nothing serious, you know, Chat Noir is way too far in development to introduce a new main character.”

“Oh, damn, that’s right, you’re gonna start production next week, right?”

“As soon as I talk to Noelle about doing voice work, and see what Rose and Raoul say!” Alya said, bouncing in place as a toothy smile took over her face.

“It’s a shame you didn’t think of her before now,” Alix said, examining the paper. “I really like the design. She’s cute.”

“Oh, thanks! It was just something to do with my hands while I watched YouTube videos, I meant to toss it-”

A wicked grin suddenly threatened to split Alix’s face. “While you were watching YouTube?”

“...Yeah, why?” Alya asked, immediately suspicious of the smaller girl. That smirk couldn’t mean anything good.

“This drawing wouldn’t happen to be of your ~true love~, Mar-”

“Shut up.” Alya deadpanned, flopping backwards on the counter.

Alix let out a loud laugh and then put on a drawling voice. “Oh hi, I’m Alya, I claim to be in love with a girl I’ve never met after seeing one YouTube video she made…”

“Shut up!” Alya squealed again, one arm coming up to cover her crimson face. “You know I wasn’t being serious-”

“Oh, Marinette, I love you, please run off into the sunset with me and let me model your dresses! Or even better, nothing at all! Oh, Marinette!” Alix crooned, barely holding back laughter.

“I’m gonna-” Alya spat out, shooting up and off the counter. Alix shouted and ducked as Alya swiped a hand at her, grabbing at her t-shirt. “You’re one to talk! When’s the last time you even liked someone?”

“So? Romance is dumb,” Alix scoffed. Alya lifted the smaller girl off the ground by the back of her shirt. Gasping in mock offense, she kicked her bare feet out at Alya. “Put me down!”

“Not until you stop making fun of me,” Alya sing-songed, smirking at her roommate. Alix sighed and rolled her eyes dramatically. Her feet stopped swinging and she let her body hang straight up and down. Alya grinned in victory until Alix’s arms shot straight up, allowing her to wriggle out of the shirt and land on the floor before rushing off.

“You little shit!!!” Alya thundered, throwing the shirt in the direction Alix had gone.

“I win~” Alix sung from the living room, where she had somehow already draped herself across the couch.

Alya rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Alix,” she said with a breathy laugh. “You do you.”

\----------

**_MiraculousMarinette_ ** _ : Uh, hello! I haven’t heard from you yet, and I announced the giveaway winners almost 24 hours ago. I just wanted to ask if you had seen my most recent video? I would like to give you every chance to claim your win, I know it’s a pretty big deal. _

**_ScarletLetterA_ ** _ : oh my god _

**_ScarletLetterA_ ** _ : wait _

**_ScarletLetterA_ ** _ : OH MY GOD _

**_ScarletLetterA_ ** _ : AHHHH _

**_ScarletLetterA_ ** _ : I AM SO SORRY I DIDNT EVEN SEE THE VIDEO YET HOLY FUCK _

**_MiraculousMarinette_ ** _ : Oh no, please don’t be upset about it!!! It’s not a big deal… Not the end of the world, you know?  _

**_ScarletLetterA_ ** _ : !!!! oh my god! _

**_ScarletLetterA_ ** _ : im… oh my god _

**_MiraculousMarinette_ ** _ : Are you alright? _

**_ScarletLetterA_ ** _ : YES _

**_ScarletLetterA_ ** _ : yes!!!!!!! _

**_ScarletLetterA_ ** _ : im great!!!!!! _

**_ScarletLetterA_ ** _ : im not upset pls dont freak out ahhhhh!!! _

**_ScarletLetterA_ ** _ : sorry yeah no yeah im great!!! _

**_MiraculousMarinette_ ** _ : Oh good, I’m glad! Ahah, I just wanted to make sure you were aware that you won. _

**_MiraculousMarinette_ ** _ : I’m sorry, I’m going to have to cut this conversation short, M. Agreste just came in, we have another fitting to go to. We can discuss what you want for your prize after Fashion Week, I’m just too busy before that. Have a wonderful day!!! _

\------------

“ALIX FUCKING KUBDEL,” Alya hollered, slamming the door to their shared apartment open.

“‘Sup,” the small girl responded, barely looking up.

“ALIX!!!”

“Yes, that is my name, thanks for noticing.”

“Alix.”

“Yes, Alya?”

“I won.”

Silence ticked through the flat. The only sounds were those coming from the almost-muted TV and Alya’s heavy breathing.

“... Are ya gonna clarify, or…”

“The - the, the giveaway!! That MiraculousMarinette did!!! I won! I won I won I won and she messaged me - oh my god, Marinette talked to me - oh my GOD-”

“Okay, girl, deep breaths. Calm down,” Alix said, calmly vaulting over the back of the sofa. “Just scream it out.” Although Alix’s words sounded distant and uncaring, a proud smile just barely graced her face and she wrapped the larger girl up in a hug.

“This is it,” Alya whispered into Alix’s hair. “The day my gayness literally kills me. I’m gonna die, Alix.”

“You’re not gonna die, Alya,” Alix replied, snickering into her collarbone. “But I have no doubt you’re gonna keep being dramatic.”

“Me?” Alya said, a faux-offended tone in her voice as she stepped back out of the hug. One hand came up to her chest in surprise. “Dramatic?!?!? Never!!!”

Alix snorted. “Riiiight, okay.”

“... Do you think she’s gonna like talking to me? I mean, what if we finish the design and she sends it to me and we never talk again? What if I’ve been building her up in my mind, and she ends up not even liking me? What then?” Alya asked quietly, Alix blinking at surprise at the sudden subject change.

“What? Girl, don’t even worry about it, of course she will. Who couldn’t like you?” Alix reassured, beaming up at Alya. She returned a small, self-conscious smile. 

“Yeah,” Alya replied, her small smile growing as she became more confident. “Yeah!”

“You got this.”

“I got this!”

“... Do you know when Paris Fashion Week starts?”

“God… dammit, Alya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long and it's not a very good chapter!!!  
> Finals hit pretty immediately after I posted Chapter 2, so December was basically SUPER FUCKING BUSY with final projects and college acceptances and then a Secret Santa and I didn't have time for anything other than those for basically the entire month. By the time everything there wrapped up and I finally had time for this again, my motivation was shit.
> 
> I hope to have the next chapter out a lot faster than I had this one out, and hopefully after writing this one I'll be back into the groove of the story and it'll be good again.


	4. Chapter 4

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Alix groaned as she walked into the living room. Alya sat in the middle of the chaos.

“Whaaaat?” she whined. Alix groaned again, even more dramatic this time.

The small room had been completely transformed. The TV had been dragged out of place and closer to the couch, while the DVR sat on top of it haphazardly. The coffee table was covered in snacks: chips, dip, popcorn, chocolates, even a few sandwiches had found their way into the mix. The couch was in a similar state of distress, buried under snack wrappers and water bottles. A laptop sat open on the floor, a phone with a black cat charm laid face-up on the coffee table, and a pair of earbuds were strewn in a knot across the back of the couch.

“Girl, it’s a fashion show, not the Super Bowl,” Alix said. Alya scoffed in response.

“It’s like… the Super Bowl for fashion!!!!” she argued.

“That is. An awful comparison,” Alix shot back through a snort of laughter.

“Shut up, it’s exciting, okay?” Alya defended herself before scooping a handful of chips from the table and stuffing them in her mouth.

“When is she even on?” Alix asked, her voice forgetting the teasing tone of a moment before.

“She has a brief interview at 3, then the line starts at 3:15, they talk about it for a while and she has another interview at 4,” Alya rattled off, already having memorized the schedule. Glancing at her phone, it was 2:39.

“Damn. You recording it?”

“You know I am!”

“That’s fair, that’s fair. Let me know when the show starts, maybe I’ll watch a little bit of it or whatever.”

“Awh, you caaaare,” Alya crooned, immediately putting on a fake cutesy voice. Alix’s face scrunched up in disgust.

“Make that noise one more time and I revoke any offer of my companionship,” she said. Alya snickered.

“Yeah, I probably deserve that. I’ll holler for you when she comes on.”

“Kay, you know where to find me. Later!” Alix said as she retreated back into her room, armful of snacks ready. Alya snorted, unmuted the TV, and continued watching whoever it was talk about jackets.

\-----------

“Mme. Marinette! Mme. Marinette! May we have a word?”

Marinette internally groaned, turning away from the model she was sewing up.

“Can’t it wait? I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but you ARE aware that my models walk in 10 minutes? You can get your interview after I see my line onstage.”

“But, Mme. Marinette, we would really like to-”

“Leave her alone,” came a steady voice from behind Marinette. She didn’t have time to look, already back to stitching the torn seam on the model, but recognized the voice as M. Agreste’s son. She had had work with Adrien before; he seemed like a genuinely good person. She smiled to herself as he continued. “She’s clearly busy, and she told you no. So leave her be.”

Marinette heard grumbling as the reporter scurried away, and then the rustle of fabric as Adrien stepped closer. “Sorry about that, Mme.,” Adrien said politely, careful not to startle the girl. Marinette smiled and wished she could get up to pull Adrien into a hug. 

“No, thank you Adrien! I don’t think I could have shaken her, but you saved me. Thank you,” Marinette said sincerely.

“Well-” Adrien started before a call of his name from afar stopped him. He cursed under his breath. “Ugh, my father needs me for something. Good luck with your line - you’re just about to walk, right? I wish I could see it! Goodbye, Marinette!” Adrien boosted her mood effortlessly as he bounced away, Marinette still smiling as she closed the stitch on the model’s hip.

“All right!” Marinette said, poking the needle into a pincushion she held with her other hand as she stood up. “Does anyone else need help with something?” The line of models said nothing, some struggling their way in and out of dresses, some being brushed with makeup, some standing around in awkward shoes. Marinette sighed, guessing she wouldn’t get anything out of the models, and began double-checking hair and makeup for each one.

“Marie-Claire, can I get you to help Lily with her dress change? She keeps getting hooked in the sleeves. I want them draped across her arms - Juleka, how’s makeup coming?”

The dark-haired girl turned at the sound of her name. It was a blessing to have her working on her makeup; Marinette had expected to get some stuck-up makeup artist, so seeing her old classmate was a relief. She did makeup flawlessly. Marinette had needed almost nothing to get her visions across to Juleka, and she was in awe of what the girl could do with a brush.

“It’s going awesome. Wanna come look at Kamille?” Juleka offered, stepping aside to give Marinette a glance at the model. She had a subtle eye and nude lip, paired with deep purple powder dusted over her cheekbones, shimmering as it caught the light. Marinette beamed. 

“Looking great, Kamille! Juleka, this is the last one, right?”

“Yup, she’ll be ready in just a second,” Juleka affirmed before going after Kamille with the brush again. Marinette turned back to the other seven models.

“Lotta and Stefanie, get into your first walk dresses, we have 5 minutes until we’re on! Guys, come on, I know this isn’t your first show, you know how this works. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” Marinette rattled off last-minute reminders and commands until the lights blinked above her, signaling that they had one minute left until walk. “Everyone, positions! Are all the second walk dresses in the right places?” she asked out loud, turning to check. Marie-Claire, along with 3 other assistants she didn’t know the names of, stood with bundles of fabric in their arms, ready to help the models with their outfit changes. Marinette turned back around, confident that everything was in its place and ready to walk. Her designs were about to walk on Paris Fashion Week, for the whole world to see! A timer flashed to life on the screen above her, showing 20 seconds. She adjusted the microphone taped to her cheek. 15 seconds. She straightened her blouse. 10 seconds. She tucked her hair behind her ear. 5 seconds. She stood up straight.

0 seconds.

Marinette walked onstage.

\----------

“Alix, she’s onstage!”

“Coming! You better have cleared a spot off on the couch for me.”

“You know I did,” Alya responded, quickly shoving a pile of junk from the spot beside her. Alix snorted from her room.

“Yeah, I heard that, Als.”

“Shut up and come watch, she’s about to introduce the line!!!”

Alya heard a door open and then her roommate bounced over to her, hopping over the back of the couch and landing in the spot Alya had cleared.

“Sup,” she said casually when she stopped bouncing up and down. Alya shushed her.

“Marinette’s speech is about t- eep!” Alya shut herself up with a squeal as Marinette, standing confidently on the stage, opened her mouth and began talking.

\----------

“Hello, Paris Fashion Week! My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I’m a freelance designer working under Gabriel Agreste, and I am… absolutely blown away to be here today. This is my first time showing in something this big; it is an absolute gift to have this opportunity, especially so young.

“My line consists of 12 dresses. Each dress was very carefully designed and crafted - I actually personally sewed each of them myself, as well as designing them - and I can’t wait for you all to see them! That’s enough talking out of me, though, let’s get to what you’re all here for. Let’s walk!”

Marinette turned around and gracefully stepped behind the curtain. She tore the mic off of her cheek, the tape they had used to secure it already uncomfortably tacky. The lights up on stage changed, the spotlight fading out to general runway lighting. Her models stood prepared, tall and thin and waiting for the word. They were ready to walk.

“Is everyone ready? This is it, it’s time! 

“Three, two, one… Go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea whether or not Paris Fashion Week airs on TV. I did some research, and couldn't find anything. I did, however, find links where it's livestreamed online, so I figured it wasn't too much of a stretch to have it live on TV as well. Creative liberties and all that.  
> Also, the school situation is a little weird; Alya and Marinette didn't go to school together, of course, and I'm basically splitting classmates between them as they become relevant. So far I have that Alix, Adrien, and Nino all went to school with Alya, while Rose and Juleka went with Marinette. It doesn't really matter (and I don't plan any other character appearances, it's probably just gonna stay Alix), I just wanted to note that there's no real significance there.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *kicks down door* YO im not dead yet

The living room was silent.

Well, that’s a lie. The music, the snapping camera shutters, the murmur of people as models stepped onto stage; everything went on as usual.

But as for Alya and Alix?

Not a sound.

Two mouths gaped in silent gasps, forgotten snacks dribbling out of hands as the line walked.

“Whoa.” Alix said, the breathless wonder in her voice uncharacteristic of her.

“Yeah,” Alya agreed in a similar tone of voice, leaning forward.

“This is… amazing.”

“ _ She’s  _ amazing.”

\------------

The first dress to walk out was adorable, and so completely… Marinette. It was a pale, pale pastel pink, and it had smudges of darker pink flowers on it. Layers of semi-sheer chiffon revealed the opaque fabric beneath. The dress itself was small, but somehow not revealing; it was still a  _ cute  _ design, despite only hitting mid-thigh. The focus was the keyhole opening at the model’s cleavage; a vertical slit running almost down to her belly button, tied at the bottom and the top with dark red bows and revealing a swatch of smooth, pale skin. The tall model stalked down the runway with the confidence of a million shows, her shoes clicking dramatically across the stage even though they were flats.

The second model to come out was a splash of color, especially compared to the first pastel dress. It was a dark, saturated, solid turquoise color. It was a similar length to the first dress, but a much thinner material; one layer of plain fabric made up the base of the dress, sleeveless and strapless. It was covered up by a shiny lace piece in the same color; floral patterns played up over the collarbones and down the arms of the model. The lace hugged the dress all the way down her body and fell past the hem of the material, loose lace ending barely above her knees with a thick fold of fabric.

The third dress was a much more traditional dress, not quite as couture. Small ruffles of fabric in pale shades of pink and purple made their way down the dress in thin, opaque pieces of silk. The dress was off-shoulder, and two loops of pastel pink silk made up the sleeves. It landed just below the first two dresses did, thinning layers of silk making their way down toward the model’s knees. 

The next dress to walk out was a peach color, bunched up at the model’s waist only to burst out into puffy fabric and lace around her thighs. The pastel piece was offset with a marked-up, patched denim jacket, seemingly just thrown on top, making the ensemble look effortless and standing out from the previous three dresses.

\------------

“Holy FUCK  **I WOULD SO WEAR THAT JACKET** ,” Alix blurted out as the model approached the end of the stage, twirling to reveal a rip down the back. It was just deep enough to tease a sheer peach layer of lace underneath, revealing the model’s back.

Alya snorted. “Of course that’s what you would go for.”

“What? I hate dresses, you know that. I’m not gonna be drooling over the dresses just because they’re gorgeous and amazingly crafted-”

“Alix, I believe that’s my line.” The enraptured girl cut off and flushed a deep red at the interruption. 

“Fine. They’re really nice dresses and even if you would never find me in one if my life depended on it, they are super gorgeous.”

Alya grinned. “Youuu liiiike themmmm,” she sing-songed. Alix flushed even darker.

“Whatever,” she muttered, stuffing half a sandwich in her mouth in the hopes that Alya would shut up. She did, and the two women turned their attention back to the TV.

\-----------

The fifth dress was… interesting, to say the least. It hit mid-thigh, as the dresses before it, and featured a pink and black floral pattern. A black ribbon was tied into a loose bow just under the model’s breasts, and the straps were made of the same black ribbon. A cape of shimmery black silk fluttered behind the model as well, falling to the backs of her knees, tied around her neck with yet another ribbon.

\------------

“Holy fuck, capes,” Alix muttered. Alya snorted into her chips.

“Can you start a sentence with anything other than ‘holy fuck,’ Alix?”

“Shut it,” she shot back immediately. “Like, seriously though,  **capes** . I would so wear that.” Alya giggled again.

“No you wouldn’t!!! It would get tangled in your roller blades-”

“It’s only like, knee length!!!”

“Alix, you’re like four feet tall. That cape would so totally screw you up.”

Alix harrumphed. “Oh, but I bet you could rock that cape, Ms. Amazonian Goddess?” Alya smirked.

“You know I could. I could rock any one of those dresses, Ms. Short Stuff.”

“Yeah, as a shirt!”

“Clothes come in different sizes, Alix. That’s how our society works, remember?”

Alix harrumphed again. “Then what about the cape-”

“Designs from Fashion Week aren’t gonna sell in children’s sizes.” Alya was practically beaming at this point, her toothy grin offset by Alix’s red face.

“You’re the worst.” Alix deadpanned and threw a handful of popcorn at Alya. Alya shrieked.

“Oh god, someone help, I’m being attacked by a dwarf!” Alya sputtered out between laughs. Alix tackled her, surprisingly strong for how tiny she really was.

“You tall piece of shit!”

“You fucking...gremlin!”

\----------

The next dress broke the trend of short dresses that Marinette had going. It was pure white, the top a sleeveless blouse-like look, and the bottom a semi-sheer skirt falling to the model’s ankles. A solid piece of knee-length fabric underneath covered up the model, and the sheer fabric was embroidered with green leafy designs. A bow tied around the collar and draped down to the waistline of the dress. 

Marking the tipping point of the show, the seventh dress was a very simple one. It was cream-colored, and it fell to the model’s ankles; an asymmetrical neckline and waistline balanced each other out. It stood alone; unlike anything the fashion week had seen thus far, the model wore no accessories or even shoes. Her hair brushed her shoulders, unlike the updo that each previous model had worn, and even her makeup was minimal.

\---------

“That’s kinda weird,” Alix muttered. Alya looked up from her phone, where she had Twitter pulled up.

“How so?”

“Just the… like, why is she barefoot? And why is her hair down? I don’t get it.”

Alya squinted at the screen. The #ParisFashionWeek hashtag was refreshing quickly under her fingers, similar questions flooding her feed.

“I don’t know,” Alya replied honestly. “Which dress is this, seven? It’s halfway, maybe it’s marking a new start.”

“Maybe,” Alix said, head cocked. “I still don’t really get it, but okay.”

\---------

The next dress was presented in the same way. The model wore no accessories, no shoes, and her hair fell loose. The dress was a pastel purple color, and the sleeves looped dramatically around the model’s shoulders. It fell in thick folds down to where it brushed the floor. Subtle swirled patterns made their way around the waist of the dress and draped down to the floor.

Dress nine was another clean white. It was sleeveless and fell to the floor, the smooth fabric almost resembling fondant frosting. A blue ribbon tied around the middle to act as a belt, and a garden of blue and pink flowers burst forth from the midpoint. The flowers made their way up nearly to the model’s neck, and down over her hips. Like the two before, it was paired with flowing hair and the soft steps of bare feet.

The tenth dress was a pale green color, bursting with chiffon and ruffles. Large blue flowers patterned the dress loudly. A dark green ribbon tied around the collar, and the waist, and the dress poofed out from the model’s body dramatically.

Nearing the end of the line, the next dress was a purple color so pale it was nearly white. Small silver gems caught the light, interwoven with the fabric of the dress, giving it an almost ethereal feel. It had a plunging neckline and fell to the floor, a sheer layer of fabric laid overtop. Lace-patterned sleeves also covered the model’s arms down to her wrists, making it the first long-sleeved dress of the set.

Last but not least, the twelfth dress was a thick, cream-colored concoction. It was sleeveless and boasted a high neckline, falling to grace the floor like so many before it. Thick folds of woven fabric folded over one shoulder and down the skirt, with thin semi-sheer chiffon coming over the other shoulder and barely hiding a slit down the model’s leg. Her feet landed softly and her hair fell over her shoulders like spilt ink, and she reminded Alya of Marinette in a way.

She couldn’t quite figure out… why. I mean, of course, it wasn’t - and that wasn’t even a dress Alya could imagine Marinette wearing. It was much too… well, formal. There was just something about the bold walk, the glittering blue eyes, the shiny black hair that reminded Alya of her. She sighed dreamily.

Alix snorted.

“What, you over here falling for more girls? Cuz I’m sorry to break it to ya, but you may be aiming a little high with this one.”

Alya startled out of her reverie and looked back at Alix. When had she gotten off of the couch?

“What? No. Shut up. I - I was thinking about someon-THING. SOMETHING.”

“Mmm-hmmm,” Alix hummed, giving Alya a knowing smirk. Alya ignored her and turned back to the television set, watching as the model spun at the end of the catwalk and made her way back to whatever lay behind the curtains, the camera panning away and fading to black as the lights onstage dimmed back down.

\------------

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, folks! That was… quite a daring line for a first-timer. There was a clear trend there… So let me ask, why the pastels?”

“Well,” Marinette began, beaming as her face turned pink, “I figured I would try to make a statement. At first, my designs had a few brightly colored dresses, but they looked weird and stood out next to the others… I guess I just kind of drift to pastel colors, so I made sure they all worked well together.”

“Makes sense. However, can you guess the biggest question everyone has about your line? The one thing confusing the world?”

Marinette flushed a shade darker. “I imagine… my choices in terms of, uh, accessories for the second half of the line.”

“We have a winner, folks! Yes, the Internet is buzzing about it - why, pray tell, the drastic change?”

“I guess I just wanted to symbolize… freedom, you know? It’s like, the dresses all of a sudden were independent, and had your undivided attention. Accessories and hair can definitely add to an outfit… but they don’t have to. And I wanted everyone to see that.”

“Well, it was definitely a bold move, especially for someone as young as you are! You work under Gabriel Agreste, yes?”

“Kind of! I mostly do freelance - I run my own online shop - but I do help out with the Agreste line occasionally. Mostly with fittings and sewing, that sort of thing… I don’t really, um, design for him or anything. I just met his son when I was fresh out of uni, and he kind of… gave me an in. Nothing serious.”

“Ah, yes, of course. We only have a few more minutes before we need to move onto the next designer - is there anything you would like to tell the audience before time’s up?”

Marinette turned then, facing directly into the camera. It panned away awkwardly, but she followed it, and the cameraperson seemingly gave up.

“Never give up on your dreams. I’ve been designing and sewing since I was eleven years old, and even though people made fun of me for it, I never let it get to me. And now, here I am, after walking a line on Paris Fashion Week, and I still can’t quite believe it. So… Nothing is impossible. Keep at it, and you can make anything happen. Enjoy the rest of Paris Fashion Week, everybody!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure this is the longest chapter I've written so far, and I hate it. /sigh/  
> Next chapter, we'll be done with Fashion Week and move back onto relationship development!!! We're also gonna move onto Alya's story some in the next few chapters, because I feel like we know a lot about Marinette's channel and almost nothing about Alya's.
> 
> Also, if for some godforsaken reason you want to see the dresses I based Marinette's designs on, [here you go](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ae07RzgXvgbAsvS-gwsdbNMzwPwiFoJgPekiEVawgLU/edit?usp=sharing). Some of the designs are exactly as they appear, but I changed color or material or little details on most of them, I think.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what no... of course it hasn't been 2 months... i wouldn't leave a fic without an update for that long... hahahhah sorry y'all i don't even have an excuse this time i just suck

**_MiraculousMarinette:_ ** Hello! 

**_ScarletLetterA:_ ** whoa 

**_ScarletLetterA:_ ** hi haha

**_MiraculousMarinette:_ ** It was… Alya, right?

**_ScarletLetterA:_ ** !!!! yeah!

**_MiraculousMarinette:_ ** Awesome, hey Alya! Sorry it’s been a while, things were pretty crazy. I mean, Paris Fashion Week, right?

**_ScarletLetterA:_ ** oh yeah, me and my roommate actually watched your line walk!!! it was super good haha

**_MiraculousMarinette:_ ** Oh, thank you so much! I still can’t believe that really happened, it all feels like a dream.

**_MiraculousMarinette:_ ** I’m getting off-topic, ahh, sorry! I actually popped in to talk to you about the giveaway. You won first place, so you won a full outfit designed and made for you. That’s a really big deal, I hope you’re excited!!!

**_ScarletLetterA:_ ** you dont even know holy shit

**_ScarletLetterA:_ ** i just recently started following you but i love your designs so much dude

**_ScarletLetterA:_ ** like… holy shit bruh how are you my age youre so talented

**_MiraculousMarinette:_ ** Thank you!!!!! You’re so sweet, oh my gosh.

**_MiraculousMarinette:_ ** Do you want to move off of Google’s crappy little chat and talk on Skype or something? It may be easier to use.

**_MiraculousMarinette:_ ** Okay, uh, maybe not “easier to use”, but you know what I mean.

**_ScarletLetterA:_ ** oh god pls

**_ScarletLetterA:_ ** my user is the same as my user here

**_MiraculousMarinette:_ ** I sent you a friend request!

**_MiraculousMarinette:_ ** And just a warning… I don’t have a business Skype, so it’s my personal, so it’s not as professional as this.

**_ScarletLetterA:_ ** nah idc dude

**_ScarletLetterA:_ ** i gotchu

 

\-----------

 

**_BEES?:_ ** hey

**_BEES?:_ ** this is marinette, right?

**_Aurora Boring-alis:_ ** yup!

**_Aurora Boring-alis:_ ** do you mind if i drop the whole proper-capitalization thing? its kinda a hassle

**_Aurora Boring-alis:_ ** and i mean it’s not like i’m super worried about being the Most Professional of designers rn

**_Aurora Boring-alis:_ ** like… im talking to a client while my name is “aurora boringalis” i feel like formality has already gone out the window here

**_Aurora Boring-alis:_ ** sorry idk

**_BEES?:_ ** nah youre good youre good!!! calm down omg

**_Aurora Boring-alis:_ ** ahh sorry sorry ! i get kinda panicky sometimes ahhhhhh

**_BEES?:_ ** dude im the biggest fucking idiot you dont need to panic abt what i think lmao

**_BEES?:_ ** youre like so cool!! you had a line on an international fashion show!!! that is so much cooler than anything i do

**_Aurora Boring-alis:_ ** that’s not true!!! you do plenty of cool stuff, alya.

**_BEES?:_ ** you dont know that

**_BEES?:_ ** … do you?

**_Aurora Boring-alis:_ ** oh

**_Aurora Boring-alis:_ ** uh

**_Aurora Boring-alis:_ ** funny story

**_BEES?:_ ** … wait holy fuck

**_BEES?:_ ** did you watch my videos

_ Aurora Boring-alis is typing _

_... _

_ Aurora Boring-alis is typing _

_... _

_ Aurora Boring-alis is typing _

_ … _

_ Incoming call from Aurora Boring-alis _

\---------

“FUCK-” Alya screamed, flailing back from the laptop. It continued to trill out the Skype ringtone, Marinette’s smiling face filling the screen. Alya panickedly straightened her tank top, grabbed a scrunchie off of her bedside table, and flung herself forward to accept the call just before it stopped ringing.

“Hey,” she said calmly. Marinette looked perfectly put-together, because of course she did; she wore a bright red t-shirt and her hair was piled into an artfully messy bun. It didn’t look like she was wearing makeup.

Alya, by contrast, was a disaster. She was laying on her stomach in front of the laptop where she had flung herself down; her chest was heaving and she had hair in her face, the scrunchie held in her hand momentarily forgotten.

“Um… Hello!” Marinette replied, one delicate hand coming up to cover her mouth. A giggle like tinkling bells escaped.

“Sorry. I, uh, wasn’t quite expecting a call.” Alya said sheepishly, sitting back and settling down as she pulled her hair into a quick ponytail. She shrugged at the screen, where Marinette giggled again.

“No, I understand! I probably shouldn’t have just sprung it on you, but I… wanted to talk face-to-face.”

Alya blushed. “I… I’m honored,” she half-joked. “So, uh… funny story?”

“Ahah, yeah, no, I just - um, I… yeah...” Marinette trailed off into nervous laughter before burying her head in her hands and groaning. Alya cleared her throat awkwardly.

“Yeah, um, I might have watched a few of your your Chat Noir videos. Or… um, allofthem,” Marinette mumbled into her hands. Alya forgot how to breathe.

“All -  _ all of them!?!?!?!? _ ” Alya squeaked. “Wh-what?”

Marinette peeked up from under her hands, her face burning scarlet. She looked at Alya, in a similar state of distress, and buried her head down further.

“I DON’T KNOW IT LOOKED INTERESTING SO I WATCHED ONE THEN I WATCHED ANOTHER AND I KIND OF WATCHED THEM ALL AND OH MY GOD,” she squealed into her hands. She was slowly tilting out of frame. Alya floundered for a moment before she remembered how to speak.

“I… wow. Wow. You… I… oh my god. You… You really liked my videos?” she asked, gaping at the screen. Marinette nodded, hands still covering her face.

“I didn’t me- aauhgJKLFjhgkagejtweHGJ;AGDKFLRKG,” she interrupted herself as her chair tipped over, and she disappeared from the frame, the camera following and tipping over onto the floor, giving Alya a view at the carpet. She couldn’t help it; she chuckled.

“Fuck, shit, fucking oh my god…” came a muffled voice from the laptop. 

“Are you alright?” Alya called. White noise staticked through the speakers for a few more seconds before the camera shifted, spinning around and finally getting back on Marinette. She sat on the floor now, and half her hair had fallen out of the bun. She was sitting cross-legged, and Alya could see her bare feet and sweatpants now as she sighed dramatically.

“I’m alright, I’m alright,” Marinette reassured, straightening her shirt and absentmindedly tucking hair behind her ear. She looked up at the laptop, where Alya was biting her lip to keep from laughing. Marinette smirked, then squeaked, before bursting into peals of laughter. Alya followed suit, loud barks of laughter ringing out in both of their rooms as she held her stomach. After a few moments, they calmed down, looking at each other one more time. 

“I… oh my god. What were we even talking about?” Marinette asked, out of breath as she giggled again. Alya started laughing again in response.

“Uh, you watched my videos,” Alya replied between laughs. 

“RIGHT! Right right right!! Yes!!!” Marinette shouted, finishing the sentence decisively and then looking at Alya as if for approval. There was a beat of silence before she devolved into giggles again. Alya, who hadn’t yet stopped laughing, had tears running down her face.

“Stop LAUGHING, you’re making me laugh!!!” Alya choked out between gasps. 

“I’m sooooorrrrrryyyyyyyy!!!” Marinette crooned, not a bit of remorse in her voice. Her face was bright red and her hair was slowly falling further out of her bun. She was gorgeous.

“... What?”

Oh god. Oh no. Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh, FUCK.

“Did you…”

“SHIT I’M SO SORRY I DIDN’T MEAN TO SAY THAT OUT LOUD FUCK OH MY GOD I’M SO SORRY MARINETTE I’M GONNA GO,” Alya screeched out, the laughter forgotten as she panicked, tears of a different nature suddenly brimming in her eyes as she hung up on the call and slammed the laptop shut. 

Alya sat like that for a moment, chest heaving as her eyes spilled over and tears ran down her cheeks. The laptop sat silent in front of her, and she swallowed before shoving it underneath a pillow. “Fuck,” she whispered quietly to herself.

“... Als?” Alix piped up, leaning slightly into the room. Alya looked up at her with her lip wibbling.

“I fucked up, Alix.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey hopefully the next update is... a bit faster than this one was  
> also whoops i told myself this fic would just be fluff but apparently i just cant write something without conflict and angst creeping in so... have this


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yo yo i bet you forgot about me? sike im back  
> no but really i hadnt thought about this fic in months and someone left kudos and it made me want to update again!! for yall!!! don't underestimate the power of reader interaction bc this chapter is 100% fueled by that kudos email

“It’s not that bad, Alya.”

“Yeah, you could have done something really bad! All you did was say she was gorgeous. That’s, like, a 0 on the scale of ‘awful things to do.’”

“She’s a famous fashion designer working with a CLIENT and I told her she was gorgeous. I’M. A. CLIENT. THAT’S ALL.”

“Dude, you said you were on a Skype call together.”

“To talk about the design!-”

“I thought the story was that she got embarrassed because she had watched YOUR videos, Alya.”

“I… That doesn’t mean anything. I’m a client. It’s not my place.”

“No, Nino’s right,” Adrien piped up, laying on his back on Alya’s living room carpet. “She was just as amazed by you.”

“I… That is quite the fucking exaggeration, Agreste. She presented her own fashion line in Paris Fashion Week. Your fucking dad gave her the go-ahead on it. I’m just some rando on the Internet that won a giveaway. I guarantee you, she is not blown away.”

“Wait, she was on Fashion Week?”

Shit. “Um… Yeah,” Alya replied meekly, accidentally having let more than she intended slip.

“I might  _ know her _ , Alya. I worked with most of my dad’s  protégé s, odds are I worked with this girl too. Who was it?”

Adrien and Nino were both sitting up at this point, looking elated. Alya was flat on her stomach on the couch, face buried in a pillow. She grumbled out something unintelligible, but the shit-eating grin didn’t leave Adrien’s face.

“Let me think… who has a YouTube channel… It could be… No, no, she hates cartoons… How about…” Adrien cut himself off with a gasp, and Alya could tell he was ridiculously proud of himself. “Nino, I know who it is!”

Nino giggled - Alya swears, he fucking  _ giggled  _ \- and Adrien smugly sat up straight. Alya turned her head, shooting him a murderous glare. He responded in turn with the biggest smile he could muster, cleared his throat, and began Alya’s downfall.

“Alya Cesaire, you have fallen for the beautiful and amazing Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

\-------

“Oh, Marinette, that’s so sweeeeet!”

“You didn’t tell me you had caught a girl when we were at Fashion Week.”

“I haven’t - Jesus, Juleka, she’s not a fish! And we’ve barely even talked. I mean, we had one Skype call yesterday, and you already know how well that went.”

“It went so good!!! What are you talking about? It was so romantic!”

“I fell off a chair, admitted to binging on her videos, and then she hung up on me. That’s not exactly my definition of ‘romance.’”

“But she called you  _ gorgeous _ !!! And said you were cool! She was so flustered, she totally likes you!!!” Rose sang, hands clasped over her heart.

“Rose, you’re blowing things out of proportion. It wasn’t like that. And it was an accident!!! She’s a fan, that’s all. It’s to be expected.”

“What’s to be expected, crushing on your fans?” Juleka shot back, smirking at Marinette. She sputtered indignantly for a moment, arms coming up to cross defensively over her chest.

“I do not have a  _ crush  _ on Alya. She’s a fan who won a giveaway I hosted, and when I checked her channel to message her, the creativity in her videos caught my attention. I like the videos she makes. There’s a difference.”

“If there’s such a difference, why did you call us over? To share this cool new YouTuber you found? C’mon Marinette, be real.”

Marinette huffed a little, glaring at the couple in front of her for a moment before deflating.

“Okay, fine. I might have a  **_minor_ ** crush on the super cute, super talented, really creative girl that won my giveaway.” Rose raised her eyebrows at Marinette, and she conceded, quietly muttering out “...On Alya.” At that, Rose finally squealed, falling back into Juleka’s lap and looping her arms around her girlfriend’s neck.

“Jules, you know what this means, right?” she sang up to the taller girl, who smiled fondly down at Rose and shook her head. “We get to help Marinette just like she helped us back in  Lycée!!!!”

\-------

“WHAT THE FUCK HOW THE FUCK ADRIEN AGRESTE YOU ARE A FUCKING WITCH,” Alya screeched, sitting up and throwing a pillow at the boy before flinging herself bodily towards him, landing in a heap a solid 5 feet from him. Adrien still flinched back a bit, looking immediately apologetic, while Nino just laughed and clapped the blonde on the back. He looked absolutely bewildered, a far cry from the smug look he had on his face just moments ago. Alya screamed wordlessly into the air above her head.

“I… So I take it I was right,” Adrien whispered to Nino. He barked out a laugh in response. 

“I would say so, dude.”

“AGRESTE, EXPLAIN YOURSELF. WHAT THE FUCK WHO ARE YOU HOW DO YOU- WHAT THE FUCK, ADRIEN?”

Adrien flinched again, clutching the previously-thrown pillow to his chest. “I… Marinette talked some about a new YouTube show she was watching. I didn’t think much of it at the tiiii-” Adrien trailed off as Alya sat bolt up, looking over at Adrien. He prepared to run, but she didn’t look angry anymore; if anything, she almost seemed shellshocked.

“She TALKED ABOUT IT? To - to OTHER PEOPLE?!?!?”

“I… yes?”

“Oh my god oh my god oh my god nooooo…” Alya mumbled, twisting her upper body to bury her head in the cushion of the nearby ottoman. 

“Is that bad? I thought that would be good. Why isn’t that good?” Adrien asked, a tinge of panic creeping into his voice as he looked between Alya and Nino. Nino shrugged to him, standing and backing up as if to say ‘it’s all you.’ Adrien scooted closer to Alya. His demeanor had done a complete 180 from the gloating of moments ago.

“Alya? I… Um. Are you… okay? I thought that this would be a good thing…”

Alya sighed, turning her head to the side to unmuffle her voice. “It’s not… it’s not bad. You’re right, it is a good thing. I’m just… confused. I couldn’t believe she had watched my videos to begin with… I would have been shocked had she watched ONE. But she watched ALL of them… and she liked them so much, she shared them with other people, even. That’s… a big deal. People don’t share stuff like that unless they’re really excited about it.”

Adrien rubbed her shoulder. “That’s good then! If anything, it’s more proof that she likes you. You stuck out in her mind that much? C’mon, Alya, you can’t keep denying it.”

“Sure I can.”

“Alya…”

Alya pouted and turned her head the other way, glaring at the opposite wall. She hummed deep in the back of her throat.

“Aaaalyaaa…”

“OKAY, FINE!” she shouted, flipping around and sitting up with no warning. Adrien pulled his hand back and smiled at the girl, glad she was finally on his side. “I… I should talk to her. We should talk about this. I… I’m gonna talk to her.”

“Let’s do it then!” Nino cheered, reminding the other two that he was, in fact, still in the room. “Go ahead and call her. We’ll be here, cheering you on! And this way we can make sure you do it!”

“I… wait, what?” Alya blanched. “R-right now? That’s not…”

“No, that’s a good idea! We’ll be emotional support. Probably do a better job of it than Alix does.

Alya opened her mouth to defend her roommate, but ultimately couldn’t come up with anything and sighed in defeat. “Fine. I’ll call her.”

\-------

“Fine! I’ll call her.”

Rose grabbed Marinette’s hands and spun her in a circle, squealing. “Yes!!! Yes yes yes Marinee-eette! She’s gonna love you!!!” Marinette laughed, smiling despite herself as Rose slung her around.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Rose. We’ve barely just met, you can’t be talking about love.”

Juleka chuckled, saving Marinette from the still-twirling Rose. “You’re bright red. Do you want to clean up first?” Marinette chuckled, rubbing her hands against her cheeks uselessly. 

“Yeah, I thought that was pretty much implied. Do you two want to stick around to help?”

“Ob-viously!!!~” Rose sang, somehow still bouncing around the room. She grabbed Marinette’s hand and pulled her towards the bedroom, Marinette stumbling to keep up and follow the tiny girl. Juleka chuckled and followed the both of them, hoping for Marinette’s sake that this went well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm hoping i can kind of keep the momentum rolling now that i've started, but i kinda doubt it, seeing my track record...  
> on a semi-related note, though, there will definitely not be any updates in November, because I'm doing my first NaNoWriMo!!! Add me as a writing buddy (@cafeheart) if any of y'all are doing it this year, because I'm excited!


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